2021 UIL State Meet Preview And Predictions For 1A, 3A, 5A

William Grundy


Sarah Denton (L), Julia Torres C) and Rory Hake (R) competed at the 2021 Region 2-3A Championships

3A Girls

With only one graduate from last year's state meet top 15 runners, you'd think this race is wide open. 

It is to an extent, but it sort of isn't. The UIL 3A girls race will start off wild and wacky, with the defending state champion not even qualifying for the state meet.

Hannah Spears (Holliday) won the state titles on the track last spring. She is also the Region 1-3A champion where she ran a 11:54 on a tough Lubbock course in pretty y harsh weather conditions.

Tania Ramirez (Boyd) and Julia Torres (Callisburg) have the top two times coming out the regional championships. Actually, the Region 2-3A girls have the five fastest times heading into Round Rock.

Addison Sykora (Lorena) ran 12:03 to win the Region 2-3A title and she has a lot riding on performing her best.

The girls team race should see Holliday, Lorena, McGregor, and Whitesboro battle it out. All four of the teams finished top seven last year and they have the most experience returning.

Predictions:


Expect to see a big pack of girls at the front of the race. There are about 12 girls who can run sub 12 minutes. However, Spears proved during the track season, that she is the one to beat. The Texas Tech commit has an 11:18 SB and a 18:18 5,000m race.

Team wise, it'll be Holliday versus Lorena for the top spot. Both teams have low stick runners in Spears and Sykora.

Holliday has three girls who can run sub 11:45, and their 4 -7 girls can run fairly tight. But, Lorena has the ability to run very tight with their 2-5 runners. That will be the scoring to watch and that's what should decide the winner.

I'm slightly leaning in favor of Holliday.



Top five finishers from the Region 2-3A Championships

3A Boys

The 3A boys race will be different from last year's when it was clear William Boyce was the leader.

Wyatt Hoover (Poth) who finished third last season is the top returner. He won the Region 4-3A championship in 16:51, but his 15:34 at the Hoka One One/McNeil Elite Invitational a few weeks ago is the top 3A time of the season.

The challenge will come from from Crawford Kiser (Amarillo River Road) and Jackson Hake (Whitesboro) as both guys were regional champions. Chris Saling (Jim Ned) was a close second to Kiser at Region 1-3A and Noah Richardson (Boyd) was in the thick of things behind Hake; both will be in the mix for the win on Friday.

The team race should be a good one. There isn't a real clear favorite, but several teams with a chance to make the awards podium.

Several of the big name teams will be involved in the team race. Jim Ned, Presidio, Eustace, Valley View, McGregor, Whitesboro, Crane, Boyd, and more.

Whitesboro was third last year and they return all seven of their guys. They do a good job at trying to pack run and demonstrated that at the Region 2-3A meet.

Predictions:


It will be a tough and a close race, but Hoover pulls this out. He was close to a state championship last year and he has been running at a high level this year when he needed to.

If there is a sleeper beyond the other top guys already named, I'll say keep an eye on Daniel Romero (Tornillo). He ran a great race at Region 1-3A and competed right with Kiser and Sailing.

This is going to be a close race between Whitesboro and Eustace, but I think Whitesboro has more experience than Eustace this year to be overtaken.